(November 18, 2008) Wine Enthusiast Magazine has just announced that Chateau St. Jean Winemaker Margo Van Staaveren has been selected as “Winemaker of the Year” as part of its Annual Wine Star Awards for 2008. The Wine Star Awards recognize excellence in the wine and spirits industry.

According to Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Margo Van Staaveren was selected for the following reasons:

For a winemaker to not only survive but also thrive at a winery for nearly 30 years is remarkable in itself. For that winemaker to get better and better with each passing vintage, so that the winery is recognized as one of the top brands in America, is even more noteworthy. And for that winemaker to be a woman, in a field long dominated by men, makes Margo Van Staaveren, of Chateau St. Jean, the natural choice for Wine Enthusiast’s Winemaker of the Year.

A feature article on Margo Van Staaveren and her distinguished career at Chateau St. Jean will appear in the December 15th issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine (which appears on newsstands on November 20th). Margo will then be honored at the Wine Star Awards gala dinner and awards ceremony at the New York Public Library on January 26, 2009.

There were 50 nominees, five in each of ten of the award categories, and the winners were selected for their outstanding contribution to the world of wine and spirits, with special attention to achievements in the year 2008.